Uses and Abuses of Biology

This project, which is funded by a generous grant from the University of Cambridge's Faraday Institute, aims to reveal the nuanced ways in which the concept of biological evolution is being deployed throughout new atheist propaganda. Importantly, it moves beyond an evaluation of the intrinsic merits of new atheist arguments, concentrating instead on how biological evolution is employed for the purposes of mass persuasion. The study thus focuses on identifying sets of persuasive cues, or cognitive mental shortcuts, which function in communications as subtle but effective methods of influencing public opinion and behaviour. This analysis demonstrates how references to natural selection are integrated into effective persuasive strategies, serve to cultivate ‘Evolution Wars’ brands, and fortify popular new atheist constructions of reality.

Principal Investigators

Professor Peter Harrison, Centre for the History of European Discourses, University of Queensland

Dr Tom Aechtner, Centre for the History of European Discourses, University of Queensland